“By the time I returned to the real world, I felt even more confused than I did when Nightmare Moon was first defeated. I had so many questions, and yet no answer. Even though I knew it was a dream and the dream of the same pony would likely not be the same should I return the next night, I just couldn’t seem to let it go.”
“Bet you were surprised when you returned to find it the same.” Sunset grinned as Luna nodded.
“I was indeed surprised to find that the dream seemed to have continued onto a new day as well when I returned again the next night. I was admittedly intrigued by you, especially since your name is one that I have never heard of. My sister didn’t mention you even once when she was telling me about everything that happened while I was gone.” Celestia gave Sunset a sheepish smile at that.
“You have to understand how important you were to me, Sunset. When you casted that spell and fell into a deep sleep, I was devastated. I even thought you were dead when the guards first presented your limp body to me. After that, I tried various ways to wake you to no avail. When it became obvious that I would not be able to wake you, I thought I had lost you forever. It hurt to even think of you. So I didn’t. Or at least, I tried not to.” Sunset recognised her words. The Celestia I met in that world really is her counterpart. They’re so similar. “I had you placed in your old room, and hid your room away with an invisibility spell, holding onto the smallest glimmer of hope that you would one day awaken and return to me.”
“And I did.” Sunset said as she gave Celestia a brief hug before turning back to Luna. “So, what happened next, Aunt Luna?”
“That very night, when I first met you, both Celestia and I felt strong magic from the Treehouse of Harmony and I immediately exited from the dream after giving you the excuse of wanting to rest. We knew that it was connected to the Elements and rushed over to find this.” Luna said, gesturing to the Tree of Harmony with the 7 Elements.
FLASHBACK
“It seems that this is the source of the strong magic from just now.” Luna noted as she stared at the new Element of Harmony, bearing the mark of a sun. It was familiar to Luna. “This mark…”
“It’s not my mark.” Celestia whispered, eyes wide.
“Sister?” Luna looked back to see Celestia frozen to the spot, her gaze fixed on the Element.
“I…I know that mark… But…how can this be possible?”
“Sister? What’s wrong? Do you know the pony this mark belongs to?” Luna asked, yet it felt as though Celestia didn’t hear her.
“She…She is alive after all…” Tears made their way down Celestia’s muzzle before she teleported away with a blinding flash of light.
END OF FLASHBACK
“I teleported after her, tracing her magic to follow her.” Luna said. “And I found myself in a room that didn’t exist in the old castle.”
FLASHBACK
“Sister! What’s wrong?” Luna asked worriedly as soon as she appeared in her destination. There, in the middle of the unfamiliar room, she found Celestia looking at a pony on the bed.
“Sunset? Can you hear me? Sunset! Please, wake up!” There was a rare desperation in Celestia’s voice as she repeatedly called out to the pony who didn’t stir even the slightest in her deep slumber.
“This pony…” Luna frowned as she approached the bed to get a closer look at the pony, confirming that she was indeed the pony she met in the dream, Sunset Shimmer. Celestia collapsed onto the ground, sobbing into her hooves.
“Oh, Luna! What am I going to do if she never wakes up?” All Luna could do was drape her wing comfortingly over Celestia as she cried for hours on end.
END OF FLASHBACK
“Wow. That bad, huh?” Sunset said to Celestia, who gave her an embarrassed smile.
“I excused myself afterwards, and it was only in the morning that I told her about you.”
FLASHBACK
“Sister, where are we headed?” Luna asked as she followed behind Celestia.
“Just follow me, Luna. I would like to tell you about that pony from yesterday.” Celestia said as she stopped before a wall. She pointed her horn at it, revealing a door with a sun mark. Luna recognised it as Sunset’s cutie mark. They entered, Luna following after Celestia, and Celestia turned the lights on, only to freeze.
“Sister?” Luna trotted to her side to see Celestia with a confused frown on her face.
“That’s not right. Why does she have wings?” Luna followed her gaze to Sunset, noticing her wings, peeking out from beneath her covers. They were different from the wings of pure energy she saw in Sunset’s dream, but the fact that she has wings remained unchanged.
“They were there yesterday as well. I thought you knew, but I guess you just didn’t notice it.” Luna said.
“But…the last time I saw her, Sunset was a unicorn. How and why did she ascend?” Luna did have an idea why, but chose to keep silent.
“Who knows, Sister. Magic works in mysterious ways. So, what is it about this pony that you wanted to tell me?” She reminded Celestia of her initial intention.
“I suppose you are right, Luna.” Celestia sighed. “Well, to begin, this pony’s name is Sunset Shimmer.”
END OF FLASHBACK
“She told me about you being her personal student who had gone astray, and everything that happened between you two, leading up to how you ended up in that state. I, on the other hoof, kept everything that I witnessed in your dream to myself.” Luna said. “To tell anypony your dream would mean invading your privacy, and I am very strict about not revealing our subjects’ dreams to anypony.”
“Not even to me.” Celestia said with a pout as Sunset laughed.
“It was only until the morning on the day I saw you again that I finally decided to confide in my sister that I had actually met you. And that was actually the reason why I went back to talk to you.”
FLASHBACK
“You’ve met Sunset?!” Celestia all but screeched as she teleported right in front of Luna from where she had been standing a few feet away in a split second. “When?! Where?! How?!” Luna leaned back to avoid having Celestia’s muzzle pressed against hers.
“In a dream, Sister. Two nights ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Celestia pressed forward, making Luna frown and shoot her head forward to headbutt Celestia.
“Calm down first, Sister. You know I can’t tell you about our subjects’ dreams.” Celestia rubbed the spot on her head where she was hit.
“I know.” She sighed, before looking up to Luna with pleading eyes. “I just want to know if…if you can bring her home?” Luna paused, contemplating her request. “Please, Luna. I want to see her.” She gave in with a sigh and turned around.
“Very well. I shall pay her a visit tonight.”
END OF FLASHBACK